Ball-bearing fuel mixer



Jan. 18 1927.

B. E. DYER BALL BEARING FUEL MIXER Filed Oct 4,

INVENTOR I fiamifigqx Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

PATENT orrica BEN Erwoor on or AnKsDen-E; ms l irfl- BALL-BEARING FUEL MIXER.

Application filed October 4,1823. Serial No. 666,638

My invention relates to improvements in ball bearing fuel mixers for use with internal combustion engines, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a ball bearing fuel mixer of the character described which is an improvement over the mixer disclosed in my co-pending applica tion for patent on fuel mixer for internal combustion engines, Serial No. 605,416.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fuel mixer of the. character described in. which meansis provided for the adjustment of the turbine bearings. so that a minimum amount of play in the bearings may be established without interfering with the free movement of the turbine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mixer of the character described in which the turbine is mounted upon a spindle supported at a single point, thereby precluding variations in pressure upon the bearing members present in instances where the turbine is supported between two fixed bearing members. This variation in pressure is caused in the ordinary type of fuel mixer where two separate bearings support the turbine by the expansionand contraction of the bearing members to and away from one another due to changes in temperature.

A further object of my invention is to provide a fuel mixer ofthe character described in which a pair of ball races each having a plurality of diminutive ball bearings are employed to establish an anti-friction bearing for theturbine.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mixer of the character described which is simple in construction and which permits the turbine to be projected within the float of the intake manifold of the in ternal combustion engine.

A further object of my invention is t provide a mixer of the character described which is compact in form, easy to attach to the ordinary type of intake manifold, and

which is thoroughly practical for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention Will be articularly pointed our. in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this apphcation, in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention operatively applied to a motor vehicle engine,

Figure 2- is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a top plan View of my improved fuel mixer, and

Figure 4 is an unassembled perspective view of the turbine and bearing mechanism, showing the manner of assembly.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of the ordinary type of internal combustion engine 1 employed in a motor vehicle 2 having a water cooling radiator 3. The engine 1 is also provided with an intake manifold 4: and a fuel carburetor 5 for supplying a combustible fuel to the engine through the manifold 4. 7

My improved fuel mixer consists in a metal insert .6 having the general marginal contour of the back portion of the manifold 4 of the carburetor 5 normally arranged to contact each other to form a connection therebetween. This insert 6 is provided with a pair of openings 7 through which bolts 8 are projected to clamp the insert 6 securely between a flange 9 on the intake manifold 1 and a flange 10 on the carburetor 5. v

In fixing the insert 6 between the manifold and the carburetor, I interpose fuel-tight gaskets 11 and 12 between the manifold 4 and the insert 6 of the carburetor 5 respectively. The insert 6 is provided with an opening 13 therethrough, which opening gradually tapers outwardly at the bottom thereof, as shown at 13.

An inwardly extending lug 15 isfashioned on the insert .6 and projects through the axis of the opening 13 and slightly above the upper surface .of the insert 6 (see Figure 2). This lug 15 has a threaded opening therethrough for receiving a spindle 17 threaded at its lower end, as shown at 18. The spindle 17 has a screw head 19. Y

A bearing member 20 is disposed concentric the upper end of the spindle 17 beneath the screw head 19 thereof. This bearing member 20 has .an annular depression concentric with its outer peripheral walls and concentric with the spindle 1' 7.

A second bearing member 21 is also disposed concentric with the spindle 17 and has an annular depression on its end wall in registration with the depression on the hearing member 20. A ball race consisting of approximately eleven steel balls 22 is disposed between the bearing members 20 and 21 in their respective depressions.

The bearing member 21 has a reduced portion 23 thereof over which a turbine wheel 24 is disposed and formed with its outer peripheral edges 25 concentric with the spindle l7.

A cap-like bearing member 25 is disposed concentric with the reduced portion of the bearing member 21 and has its upper end in contact with the turbine wheel 24. This bearing member 25 is also provided with an annular depression concentric with the spindle 17 for receiving one contacting surface of a ball race consisting of approximately eleven balls 26 similar to the ball race 22.

The lower surfaces of the ball race 26 are arranged to be received in a bearing member 27 having a threaded opening therethrough which is threaded upon the threaded portion 18 of the spindle 17.

A nut 28 is disposed on the threaded portion of the spindle 17 below the lug 15 to prevent movement of the spindle when once adjusted.

The insert 6 has a passage29 extending through one side wall thereof and communicating with the opening 13. This passage extends through an extended portion 30 of the insert having an exteriorly threaded portion 31 (see Figure 3) to which one end of a metal tube 32 is connected. The opposite end of the tube 32 is connected, as shown at 33, to the water cooling radiator 3 above the water level thereof so that water vapor from the radiator may pass through the tube 32'and enter the opening 13 through the insert 6.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. In use, a mixture of combustible fuel in the form of vapor is drawn from the carburetor 5 through the opening 13 in the insert 6 on the down stroke of the piston in the engine 1. This mixture of combustible fuel is joined by a flow of water vapor entering the passage 29 by way of the tube 32 from the radiator 3. The united mixture of combustible fuel and water vapor is then drawn up into the manifold where its movement upon contacting the blades of the turbine 24 causes a rapid rotative movement of the turbine 24 in the direction of the arrow 33. This rotative movement of the turbine 24 causes a mixture of combustible fuel or forming a highly combustible mixture which is readily ignitible in the cylinders of the engine 1 through which it is drawn to the manifold 4.

Heretofore, great difficulty has been brought about by the freezing of the turbine 24, i. e., the binding of the various forms of inadequate bearing structure employed. My present improved fuel mixer makes use of a novel bearing support for the turbine 24 by means of which the delicate free adjustment of the turbine 24 is not changed by thermo conditions nor by I constant using.

In the first place, .id play of the turbine is reduced to a minimum by turning the screw head 19 of the spindle 17, causing the parts concentric with the spindle to be pressed toward or away from one another, thus adjusting to the slightest degree the clearance between the ball races 22 and 26 in their associate bearing members. l Vhen this adjustment has been made, the nut 28 is tightened and all subsequent movement of the spindle 17 is precluded until the nut 28 is again manually loosened for other adjustment.

It will be noted that movement of the turbine 24 will tend to tighten the threaded bearing member 27 and thereby further lock the spindle 17 with its threaded engagement with the lug 15 and at the same time prevent all possible upward movement of the bearing member 27 which might tend to cause the tightening of the turbine bearings.

Employment of ball races in'place of single ball bearings at each end of the turbine, distributes the thrust. uniformly throughout a large number of separate ball bearings and thereby reduces friction and the possibility of fiat ball bearings'to a minimum.

The provision of a single spindle and a single support for maintaining the spindle in an operativeposition within the manifold 4 also eliminates the ditficulties brought about where two spaced apart supporting members are employed and the turbine ro tatably mounted between such supports. As heretofore stated, the chief difliculty of such structure is the disadvantages possessed by thermo expansion and contraction of the medium intermediate the bearing members. There is also to be considered the possibility of mechanical causes for moving these Spaced apart bearing members toward and away from one another, such as excessive vibration and the like.

I claim:

A fuel mixer of the type described comprising an insert arranged to lie between the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and a carburetor therefor, said insert having a lug extending inwardly through the central portion thereof, said lug having a threaded opening therethrough, a. spindle having threads on the exterior wall thereof at one end, and a head at the opposite end disposed with its threaded portion received in the threaded opening in said lug, a pair of cooperating bearing members disposed concentric with said spindle, one at each end thereof, the lower most of said bearing members having a bore threaded and arranged to engage with the threads upon the spindle, a turbine wheel rotatably mounted upon said spindle between said bearing members and fashioned so as to turn in the same direction as said lowermost bearing member when said bearing member is rotated on said threaded spindles toward and into engagement with said lug, ball races disposed between the adjacent surfaces of said turbine wheel and said bearing members, whereby said turbine wheel may be rotatably mounted upon said spindle by means of the anti-frictional bearing so formed, and means for positively locking said spindle, whereby movement of said turbine in any direction will not release the spindle.

BEN ELWOOD DYER. 

